SSIS Certification, Sql Server 2012

I never got around to doing this for various lame excuses, er, important pressing things in my life.

In any event, SSIS etc. is the path I'm looking to be on, which is a database developer (Business Intelligence), not a DBA.

So here's the path if I understand this properly. (Exams 461, 462, 463, 466, 467).

I'm a long-term oracle d.b. developer (pl*sql) and recently have gotten back into Sql Server / VS 2008, and a long time ago passed a Sql Server test. So I'm not starting from scratch, and I am actively in the Sql Server 2008 R2 / VS 2008 environment, but I'm still a beginner in SSIS, SSRS, etc.

So my question is, what do you think about starting out with the 467 (BI) Exam ? All five exams sound like it would take a year or two, but in my role I need SSIS, SSAS, SSRS now. For the 2008 R2 exam (70-448), that seemed right up my alley and feasible, but I never got around to doing it (cat died, son graduated from college and joined the army, daughter got married, etc. etc. etc.)

Assuming you can take the 467 exam first you can't get your MCSE(466, 467) until you get your MCSA (461, 462, 463) you should pick the exam that helps you feel motivated to continue. I'm just starting down the certification track myself but the best advice I've heard is to just schedule the test. 80% or more of the studying you will do will be in the month before the exam so just schedule it to give yourself a deadline (Try to find a location/date that will allow you one free retake if needed).

Based on your link it looks like you are looking at the 2012 exams which is good thing because the 2008 exams are being discontinued in January. It would be unfortunate if you got 2 exams into the 2008 exams only to find a dead end.

If you want to pass an SSIS exam, I'd look at 70-463, Implimenting a Data Warehouse with SQL 2012. It's about 70% SSIS, the rest being DQS - Master Data Services.

The SQL 2008 exam is equal parts SSIS, SSRS, and SSAS, so if you're like me and about all you know about SSAS is how to spell it, that would easily prevent a pass.

I passed the 70-461 SQL 2012 exam a couple of months ago. Nice thing about it is that there was very little 2012-specific questions, so if you've been doing T-SQL for the last three years you'll have an excellent shot at passing. I'm guessing some Oracle experience will cross over.

BriCrowe, good advice, thanks. I'm really not too concerned about the MCSE, MCSA, I'm more concerned about learning :-) I need some hard skills, and knowing SSIS is my ticket to continued employment . . . I can work on the other schtuff later.

Jim, good advice too, thanks. (and I'm with you about the spelling of SSAS, LOL).

I searched on Amazon and O'Reilly for a book on Exam 70-467 and didn't find anything. I do see a book on 763, so that sounds like a good plan.

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Btw, does anyone know if you pass 70-433, which gets you the 'Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS): SQL Server 2008, Database Development' certification, when the exam is retired on 1/31/14 does that mean that you lose the certification on that date?

when the exam is retired on 1/31/14 does that mean that you lose the certification on that date?

I don't think you really lose it but its value just decreases. If you work for a MS partner then I would think that, after retirement, they won't count anymore for the partner deal (you know, the Silver/Gold/... Business Intelligence partner thing for instance).

This page lists retired certifications that have been given a Legacy status over the last five years. As of September 2012, certifications designated as Legacy will no longer be available. Also beginning in September 2012, retired certifications will still appear on your transcript, but will be designated as Legacy.

>So my question is, what do you think about starting out with the 467 (BI) Exam ?
If you think you're there, then go for it, if not that sounds like a form of torture
>but in my role I need SSIS, SSAS, SSRS now.
>(and I'm with you about the spelling of SSAS, LOL).
In my experience the exams require a good year of experience with whatever is not the question, which is different from just needing it for your job.

Case in point: I never had to deal with XML before the 70-461 exam, and it was not the most intuitive thing for me to learn, my exam approach ended up being 'I'll learn the low-hanging fruit questions, and plan on not even trying the rest'.

ValentionV, yes totally agree on figuring stuff out . . . I am actively involved in 2008 R2 now - SSIS and SSRS, I just don't know what I am doing ! So I have a good environment at work and also have most of this set up at home.